Press Releases

26 June 2009

Help Young People’s Project win a National Lottery Award
By chris @ 16:22 :: 41 Views :: News Items, Press Release

Help Young People’s Project win a National Lottery Award

Young People’s Project (YPP), a Charity Bank borrower, is competing for a National Lottery Award and a £2,000 prize. They’re running against nine other projects in the Best Education Project category, and they need your votes.

YPP works with young people and young parents with a mission to enable them to reach their potential. The YPP had already received funding for three years from the lottery in addition to a loan from Charity Bank to provide a permanent base for their project.

Achievements over the three years include:

Developing from a small team of 6 workers to a team of 35
Increasing the running of its services from 3 days to 6 days a week
Starting a whole new team of volunteers with the training of young people to be ‘peer educators’ to run sex and relationship lessons in the community
Training of young people to volunteer in the community
Many of its young people winning national awards for their achievements
Running healthy eating sessions and setting up a café and catering company.
Running and developing parenting training sessions
Developing a new accreditation – leading to 21 accredited courses.
And lots of amazing stories of young people’s lives changing through volunteering, starting work and college. We have seen so many changes and so many developments and we are keen to have recognition for the hard work and determination of many young people.

Because young people work and volunteer with YPP, so young people’s views are at the heart of all our activities.

To support us simply:

Visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards,
Click on the Best Education Project category.
Locate the healthy lifestyles from the Young Peoples Project
Click on the link at the bottom of the page
Then click on VOTE NOW!

Alternatively you can call 0844 686 8465 to register your phone vote. Every vote counts, so we really appreciate your support.

Voting begins on 22nd June and ends on 10th July 2009. The votes will be counted and those with the most votes will be entered into the final, where public vote will decide the winner on national TV.

19 June 2009

Charity Bank appoints director for Wales
By Hawkers @ 09:18 :: 125 Views :: News Items, Press Release

Charity Bank appoints director for Wales

The Charity Bank has appointed its first ever regional director for Wales.

The bank, which was established in 2002, is being headed in Wales by Cardiff-based Ian Courtney.

05 June 2009

Charity Bank Goes From Strength To Strength
By chris @ 11:51 :: 218 Views :: Press Release

CHARITY BANK GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

Charity Bank, which uses its depositors’ money solely to support charities and social enterprises, has announced an increase in both sides of its balance sheet.

Outlining its 2008 results at its AGM last month, Charity Bank revealed that deposits grew by almost 7% in 2008 and had topped £40 million by the beginning of May 2009.

Thanks to the success of products like the Charity ISA, it has seen its depositor base increase to almost 2000, up 39% in three years.

On the other side of the balance sheet, loans to charities and community projects grew by 39% year on year, to £27.3m in 2008, and by 40% in the year to April 2009 - a six fold increase since December 2002.

The organisation expects that the level of drawn loans, which currently stands at £29.4m, will break through £30m for the first time ever in June.

Says the Chief Executive of Charity Bank, Malcolm Hayday: “The fact we’re lending to more organisations than ever, and still have a negligible default rate, is proof of the need for a bank that serves just charities, community groups and social enterprises.

“Thanks to the support of our depositors, these organisations are able to achieve great things with relatively modest sums.”

For more information about its range of accounts, visit www.charitybank.org or call the deposits team on 01732 774040.

05 June 2009

NCVO CEO Calls For A Social Investment Bank...
By chris @ 11:46 :: 161 Views :: Press Release

NCVO CEO CALLS FOR A SOCIAL INVESTMENT BANK, TO ENABLE THE CREATION OF ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE STATE AND MARKET

Speaking at the Charity Bank AGM today, Stuart Etherington, CEO, NCVO, argued that civil society organisations play a crucial role in providing alternative solutions to the state and market.

Etherington said: “Charities, co-operatives, community based models, or social enterprise can provide different solutions to those traditionally provided by the state or the market. But for this to happen an independent and thriving social investment marketplace urgently needs to be developed in order to support the sector’s short-term and long-term financial requirements.”

“The establishment of a SIB will be hugely beneficial. It will give charities and voluntary organisations greater access to capital investment opportunities, allowing them to enhance their capacity and provide better support and services to the individuals and communities they work with.”

Etherington outlined his proposal for the development of a wholesale level Social Investment Bank (SIB). This will support and capitalise existing social and ethical investment institutions, such as Charity Bank, who will act at the retail level, offering capital loans and other financial instruments to voluntary organisations. Government could kick-start the SIB with £50m of support, further funding would come from dormant bank accounts. He also proposed diverting the return flow of Futurebuilders funds to support the SIB.